Hydromassage apparatus



United States Patent Inventor Candido Jacuzzi [56] References CitedLafayette, California UNITED STATES PATENTS pp 710,330 2,730,095 1/1956Scott 1. 128/66 Flled March 1968 2,733,71 1 2/1956 Gibson .1 l28/66UXPainted 9 1970 FOREIGN PATENTS Assignee Jacuzzi Research Inc.

a corporation of Californ 348,298 2/1922 Germany 1. 128/66 PrimaryExaminer-L. W. Trapp Ar10mey-Edward Brosler HYDROMASSAGE APPARATUS 4Claims 4 Drawmg Flgs ABSTRACT: In a hydromassage apparatus wherein thejet as- U.S. Cl 128/66 sembly pump is driven from an independent motorthrough 21 Int. Cl A6lh 9/00 connecting flexible drive shaft, the airintake to the jet as- Field of Search 128/66; sembly is obtained throughan adjustable opening in a flexible 4/178, l80 housing enclosing theflexible drive shaft.

g 3 N 1 5 p 33 l a 1 Z.- I 0 :3 j t m HYDROMASSAGE APPARATUS Myinvention relates to hydromassage apparatus, and more particularly to ahydromassage with improved air supply means to the jet assembly of suchapparatus.

Among the objects of my invention are:

1. To provide a novel and improved hydromassage assembly;

2. To provide a novel and improved hydromassage assembly wherein theconventional snorkel tube for air intake is no longer required;

3. To provide a novel and improved hydromassage assembly wherein the airintake makes use of existing components of the hydromassage assembly;and

4. To provide a novel and improved hydromassage assembly wherein the jetnozzle assembly is driven through a flexible drive shaft, and a housingfor said shaft is utilized for supplying air to the jet nozzle assembly.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of the same, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings wherein:

HO. 1 is a view depicting, in elevation, the hydromassage assembly ofthe present invention and its manner of use;

H0. 2 is a view, in section, through the jet nozzle assembly andassociated air intake means;

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken in the plane 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view in section taken in the plane 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings for details of my invention in its preferredform, the hydromassage assembly, as illustrated therein, involves apower unit 1 for disposal beside a tub 3, a jet assembly 5 fordisposition within the tub, and flexible drive shaft means 7 couplingthe power unit to the jet assembly and including a flexible drive shaft8.

Insofar as the present invention is concerned, the power unit may be ofany suitable type such as an electric motor appropriately coupled to thedrive end of the flexible drive shaft, such as disclosed in theapplication of Frank Jacuzzi et al. for Hydromassage Assembly, beingfiled concurrently herewith.

At the other end of the flexible drive shaft, is the jet assemblyinvolving a two part housing 9, including a lower section 11 and anupper section 13. The lower section houses a horizontally disposed pumpimpeller connected through the suction end by the flexible drive shaft,the upper housing section enclosing the impeller while providing abearing l7 for the drive shaft. in a wall of the upper section is anaccess opening 19 to the suction end of the impeller, the access openingbeing spanned by a screen 21, while at'the opposite side of the uppersection, there is formed a socket chamber 25 having a communicationpassageway 27 to the discharge side of the pump.

The socket chamber is adapted to receive the ball end of an adjustablejet nozzle assembly 31, the details of which are disclosed and describedin an application of Floyd M. Nash for Discharge Fittings Assembly, Ser.No. 494,344, filed Oct. 1 1, I965. Thus there is completed a flow pathfrom the pump to the end of the nozzle. However, for hydromassagepurposes, air must be supplied to the discharge of the pump insufficient quantities to create air bubbles which, upon collapsing dueto impact, will produce the desired massaging effect on the individualexposed thereto.

Toward this end, use is made of a flexible housing 33 for the flexibledrive shaft, which is of sufficient diameter to create a chamber 35about the drive shaft when installed. This chamber is brought intocommunication with the flow path of the pump discharge, and moreparticularly at the air intake point 37 of the conventional jet nozzleassembly, by a passageway 39 in the upper section of the jet assemblyhousing.

Communication with the atmosphere is provided for, through an opening 41formed in the drive shaft housing, at a distance from the pump,exceeding the maximum anticipated submerging depth of the pump when inuse.

In providing for such air intake opening, a cylinder 43 havingdiametrical intake openings 44 in the wall thereof, is inserted into anend of a section 45 of said shaft housing to a point determined by astop collar 48, and may be bonded to said housing if desired. A valvesleeve 51. having similar diametrical openings 53 is slipped over thecylinder 43 and retained therein by a collar 57 which acts as a stop forthe remaining section 59 of the flexible housing 33. Rotation of thevalve sleeve Sll will enable adjustability ofthe air intake.

By thus providing for adjustable intake of air to the jet nozzleassembly, I have made use of existing components of the hydromassageassembly utilizing a flexible drive shaft, and thereby, have eliminatedthe requirement for the snorkel tube type intake, conventionallyemployed in hydromassage equipment.

As a protection against any escape of water from the tub to the motor byway of the flexible housing, a flanged plug 61, about the shaft andclosing the space between the shaft and the housing at the upper end ofthe air intake cylinder, will permit rotation of the flexible shaft,while blocking such possible escape route.

From the foregoing description of my invention in its preferred form, itwill be apparent that the same fulfills all the objects of my invention,and that the structure illustrated and described is subject toalteration and modification without departing from the underlyingprinciples involved. l accordingly do not desire to be limited in myprotection to the specific details illustrated and described, except asmay be necessitated by the appended claims.

lclaim:

ll. Hydromassage apparatus comprising:

a jet assembly including a pump, ajet nozzle assembly, and means flowconnecting the discharge of said pump to said jet nozzle assembly tocomplete a flow path from said pump to the discharge end of said nozzleassembly;

pump drive means including a power unit and a flexible drive shaft indrive connection from said power unit to said pump;

a flexible housing enclosing said flexible drive shaft in spacedrelationship thereto to create a chamber about said shaft, said flexiblehousing including two sections;

a passageway connecting said chamber to said flow path;

air intake means in said flexible housing at a location from said pump,exceeding the maximum anticipated submergence depth of said pump when inuse; and

said air intake means including a cylinder insert snugly fitting in saidflexible housing and spanning the proximate ends of said sections, saidcylinder insert having an air intake opening intermediate the proximateends of said housing sections, and a valve sleeve rotatably fittingabout said cylinder between the said ends of said housing sections, saidvalve sleeve having an opening adapted to align with said cylinderinsert opening.

2. Hydromassage apparatus in accordance with claim 1 characterized by astop collar on said cylinder insert to one side of said cylinder insertair intake opening and constituting an abutment for the proximate end ofone of said two flexible housing sections, a second stop collar on saidcylinder insert to the other side of said cylinder insert air intakeopening and constituting an abutment for the other of said two flexiblehousing sections, and said valve sleeve being located between said stopcollars.

3. Hydromassage apparatus comprising:

a jet assembly including a pump, a jet nozzle assembly, and means flowconnecting the discharge of said pump to said jet nozzle assembly tocomplete a flow path from said pump to the discharge end of said nozzleassembly;

pump drive means including a power unit and a flexible drive shaft indrive connection from said power unit to said pump;

a flexible housing enclosing said flexible drive shaft in spacedrelationship thereto to create a chamber about said shaft;

a passageway connecting said chamber to said flow path;

4. Hydromassage apparatus in accordance with claim 3 characterized bysaid air intake means including a cylinder insert in said flexiblehousing and having an opening therein to said flexible housing chamber.

